Got a tip? Send it to us at manila@coconuts.co.
The Valenzuela police were able to secure the testimonies of three welders who worked at the Kentex Manufacturing Corporation.
The three welders’ stories matched that of a Kentex worker, whom the police have employed to complete the story behind the fire last May 13 in Valenzuela City that killed 72 people.
Senior Supt. Roderick Armamento, Valenzuela police chief, said one of three workers had asked the Kentex secretary if it would be safe to work on the roll-up door even if chemicals were near it.
The secretary, Josie Tee, supposedly told them it was safe since a canvas was covering the “Super Seal” chemicals.
The welders, who do regular work at the factory, said smoke can already be seen at the onset when a spark flew in the direction of the chemicals.
They said only mineral water was used to put out the spark.
The welders said they were already in the middle of their work when the fire broke out and became too huge to be put out.
Tee, the secretary, was one of the 72 who died.
The police did not name the welders. One had already sought their help after receiving death threats.
The government is now looking at occupational safety standard violations in the factory, which could have led to one of the worst fire-related tragedies yet since the 1996 Ozone Disco incident, where up to 162 people died after being trapped in a nightclub that was allowed to accommodate only 35 guests at a time.
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com. Photo: Dennis Datu, dzMM (Twitter)
